Santa Claus
SANTA CLAUS Modern means of science and divination allowed researchers to uncover the history of many secrets and supernatural beings but there still are mysteries that are unsolved by mankind. Possibly the oddest of all mysteries is Santa Claus. While the great bulk of people denies the existence of Santa Claus even most of those who know about him do not know the entire truth. For Santa Claus is not a simple supernatural being but a powerful spirit determined to spread joy and peace all over the world. In the long history of the world this spirit took many different forms. He is gifted with unbelievable powers: he is able to transform into every form of his liking, to read the aura of people, to travel with the speed of light and to bend the grasp of time itself, which comes in handy when it comes to bringing presents to people all over the world in only one night. History Ancient Incarnations While a connection to the omnipotent creator of the universe is not ruled out by historians and theologists, modern research indicates that the first form of the Spirit that would one day become Santa Claus was a jolly, light-hearted nature spirit called Tom Bombadil, living in a wooded region known as the Old Forest. Historians disagree about the location of the Old Forest: one of the two prevalent theories states that Bombadil hailed from a different plane of existence called Arda, while a conflicting theory assumes that the Old Forest existed during the Middle Earth period which is widely believed to have layed the foundations of the cultures of the Thurian and Hyborian Age. Regardless of his origins, there are only few things known about Bombadil. Most historians agree that during the Hyborian Age, the Spirit ran through his first recorded transformation: the nature spirit Tom Bombadil turned into Mitra, a benevolent, popular god among the Hyborian peoples. While certainly kinder than Cimmerian gods like Crom, Mitra nevertheless was much harsher than the merry, carefree Bombadil before. This change might be explained by his entanglement in the War of the Ring, a bloody conflict which, again, is uncertain whether it took place in Earth's prehistory or on the plane of Arda. After the fall of the ancient nations of Hyboria, the Spirit of Joy appeared in Scandinavia where he became known as Woden. The transformation to Woden would mark the beginning of the modern depiction of Santa Claus for he was the first form of the Spirit looking like a kind, old man with a long white beard. Some historians claim that Woden convinced the Norse gods to revolt against the giants (the Norse cousins of the Titans) after becoming a loyal friend and adviser of father Odin himself. Anyhow, after the giants were overthrown by the gods, Woden influenced Odin to do good by filling the boots of children with gifts and candy, a practice which would survive until modern days. About at the same time, the cult of Mitra was revived far in the east in the Indo-Iranian realms. Mitra (called Mithra in ancient Persia) became an important deity of Indian religion and a yazata ("good power under Ohrmuzd the Greatest") of Zoroastrian belief. In the centuries to come he would find his way back to his own homeland in the form of Mithras, principal figure of the Greco-Roman mystery religion of Mithraism which would only become popular from the 1st to 4th centuries AD. But the Spirit of Joy wasn't present solely in Europe and the Indo-Iranian area: using his powers he traveled the whole world spreading peace and good cheer as best as he could. He became known by many names and many shapes. In Japan the Spirit was worshiped as one of the spirits called Kami. He was identified with the god of foxes Inari Okami and his servants, the fox-like shape-shifting tricksters called Kitsune, might be related to modern Christmas Elves. Another Japanese form of the Spirit was Fukurokuju, one of the Seven Lucky Gods who represents happiness, wealth and longevity and is - similar to Woden and modern Santa Claus - depicted as a merry old man. Furthermore, the Spirit reached Africa where he worked together with the trickster god Anansi to spread good cheer. A similar relationship existed in the Americas where he was associated with plenty of benevolent trickster gods such as Heyoka and Coyote. Birth of Christmas A major turning point in the life (or more precisely 'the existence') of the Spirit of Joy occurred when Jesus Christ was born in 1 AC. Foreseeing Jesus' potential of spreading good and peace all over the world, the Spirit traveled from his Indian temples westwards to witness the birth of the son of God in Bethlehem. On his way to Bethlehem the Spirit attracted the attention of three wise Arabian kings: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. Believing the Spirit's aura of golden light to be a star wandering westwards they followed him as they believed he would be a miraculous sign to mark the birth of the Christ. On December 24, 1 AD, the Spirit and the Three Kings arrived at Bethlehem and witnessed the birth of the son of God. Convinced that this day would mark the departure of humanity into a better, peaceful future the Spirit declared this day to be his holy day: Christmas. In the following one and a half millennia the idea of Christmas spread all over Europe and America and on every Christmas Eve the Spirit of Joy celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ by handing out presents and spreading the good cheer of Christmas. In these many centuries the shape of Woden evolved as it merged with the souls of dead saints such as the Three Kings, Saint Nicholas of Myra, Basil of Caesarea, Knecht Ruprecht and the Oriental figure of Nasreddin. While the form of the kind old man essentially remained true, this new form was known by many names: Santa Claus in America, Father Christmas in England, Weihnachtsmann in Germany, Père Noël in France, Joulupukki in Finnland, Ded Moroz in the Slavic area, Dada in India, Santa Halabuji in Korea, Ông già Noel in Vietnam and so on. But with growing influence and population numbers Santa Claus - as he will be referred to by now for the purpose of simplicity - had more and more work to do for even his powers were limited. Thus he made deals with some of the most powerful beings of the multiverse: God himself agreed to aid Santa Claus in his noble task by providing him with an angel who would assume the responsibility over parts of Middle Europe and Latin America. For a long time people wrongly believed this angel to be the newly-born Jesus himself which is why he earned names such as Christkind (German for "Christ-child"), Gesù Bambino (Italian for "Baby Jesus"), Jézuska (Hungarian for "Little Jesus") and similar others. Furthermore, Santa Claus struck a deal with the Grim Reaper himself in order to revive Nasreddin - in order to take on the job of fulfilling Santa Claus' tasks in the Middle East - and additionally to allow the spirit of Saint Nicholas (or Sinterklaas) to return to the world every December 5 in order to present the good children with sweets and gifts. Kris Kringle In the 14th Century, A mortal man, Nicholas Kris Kringle was born a saint and made immortal along with his family including his brother Fred Kringle, later Fred Claus. As an adult Kringle began delivering toys to everyone in the city of Sombertown during the reign of the tyrannic Burgomaster Meisterburger. In his later years Kringle, fought a Krampus, battled the evil Winter Warlock and into old age continued to deliver toys into his 50s. One night, Kringle, Anya and their two reindeer, Donner and Blitzen, were caught in a blizzard and succumbed to the cold weather. However, they were saved by elves and transported to the vast "ice mountains, way up at the top of the world." Their expected arrival was heralded with the appearance of several elves, or as Kringle's people called them in their legends, the Vendequm, led by the venerable and wise elf named Dooley. Dooley told Claus it was his destiny to deliver toys to the children of the world every Christmas Eve, which the elves will make in their large workshops. Donner and Blitzen were joined by six other reindeer trained by spirits such as Knecht Reprecht and fed magic food that allowed them to fly. The original eight reindeer became Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder, and Blixem. In time other reindeer would have the honor of flying Santa's sleigh including Rudolph, Robbie and Olive (who actually was a dog). When Christmas Eve came, Claus was approached by the oldest of elves, the Ancient One, who renamed him as "Santa Claus". The mortal embodiment of the Spirit of Joy. On his task, St. Nicholas was accompanied by the demonic but ensnared Krampus, who would sometimes be friendly to individuals such as Steve Smith yet also punish wicked children, including hunting down and murdering a family. St.Nicholas was also accompanied by le Père Fouettard, Black Peter and the fur-clad Belsnickel all of which punished naughty children on the day before Saint Nicholas Day along with the Krampus. Actively forging even more alliances with supernatural creatures Santa Claus gained the assistance of beings and spirits such as Knecht Ruprecht and his famous reindeer: While Santa's activities are often limited to Earth, he makes an exception and visits the planet of Apokolips to give the ruler Darkseid a single lump of Coal. At some time in the 1100s, 1400s, or 1500s, when the Native American tribes of the American East coast became more and more numerous and thus more and more belligerent, Santa even took up a human form called 'The Great Peacemaker' (called Deganawidah by the natives) to unite the Iroquois tribes by forming the Iroquois confederacy. Around 1712, the original Santa, Nicholas St.North fought in a battle against the monstrous Pitch Black,d effecting and imprisoning him. Santa even convinced the Grim Reaper to allow him to free the ghosts of the Three Kings for one night every Christmas. Every year these spirits haunt one person who has forgotten the value and the meaning of Christmas in the shape of the Spirit of Christmas Past, the Spirit of Christmas Present and the Spirit of Christmas Yet To Come. The best documented case of this Christmas haunting was the case of Ebeneezer Scrooge in 1843, but there are many others such as C. F. Kane, Scrooge McDuck and C. Montgomery Burns. Kringle's first child was born in 1857 and named Jingle Belle. She grew up to, by the late 1990s, having aged to resemble a rebellious teenager despite her true age. In 1897, Santa Claus left his usual home - a little cabin just outside of the Finnish city of Korvatunturi - heading northwards deep into the Arctic (some say this was a reaction to the article "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus"). He settled down in the North Pole after purchasing it from the Baltimore Gun Club, being in contact only with natives such as the inhabitants of Hyperborea, the subterranean Arq people and the Polar Bear Kingdom. He adopted a shamanic way of life using secret rituals to spread joy around the world instead of merely delivering presents. In this task he was aided by his spirit guides who often are called his "Little Helpers" or "Christmas Elves". These loyal, hard-working creatures are a mystery to modern day geneticist and there are several conflicting scientific theories about their origins: some experts see the little helpers as elves, fairies, goblins or other nature spirits following Santa Claus since the day of Woden; alternatively it was suspected that they might be related to the kitsune that the Spirit of Joy ruled over while he was Inari Okami; a small minority of scientists thinks about possible relations between the Little Helpers and the Oompa-Loompas of Loompaland, while another group of experts considers the possibility that they originally hail from Neptune and last but not least a prominent theory depicts the Christmas Elves as an evolved version of the Homo elvis (greater elves) from the Middle Earth period, the age of Tom Bombadil. In the late 1920s the American soft drink company Cola-Cola funded an exploration team to encounter Santa Claus. After the explorers finally discovered him in 1931 on his isolated island, a brief but hard time of negotiations led to a contract signed by Santa Claus and Coca-Cola: the soft drink company constructed a modern workshop for Santa operated by his Little Helpers and in return Santa was forced to advertise Coca-Cola and to spread happiness by delivering presents instead of spiritualism and magic. In mere months Coca-Cola constructed Santa's Workshop which immediately began to produce vast amounts of toys, sweets and Coca-Cola advertisement (starring among others the sentient polar bears from the neighboring Polar Bear Kingdom). In this tasks Santa still was aided by his old allies such as Saint Nicholas, the Three Ghosts, his reindeer and the Christkind but an attentive observe could well detect the subtle changes: Santa's traditional brown and green suit was replaced by a red one, his staff was expanded by Mr. Jingeling, Mr. Bingle and Hardrock, Coco and Joe. Traditional valor and Christmas figures were overshadowed by commercialization and Santa's original message of peace and Christmas cheer was turned more and more into a feast consisting solely of material needs with only a small class of educated experts and Coca-Cola representatives even believing in Santa's existence. Coca Cola was not the only product which approached Santa as he also advertised Norelco razors, even given a giant version of the product he used as a Sleigh. At this time, Santa found himself facing off against foes that wished to destroy Christmas. Most of these individuals however would come to realize their view on Christmas was wrong. They had believed it was about Materialism and Commercialism and were pacified upon learning of the more sentimental meaning of the holiday. The most famous of these foes being the Grinch. Frustrated by the development of Christmas, Santa Claus made a radical decision. He chose to give Christmas to the mortals. Kris Kringle elected to retire the role and pass it on. By now he had a fairly large family which lived in the areas surrounding the North Pole and were likewise immortal, and passing it on was no problem. Kringle would visit New York City in 1947 and partake in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and later be engaged in a trial to prove his identity. Kringle loved the role so much he would return to it several times despite that his age was beginning to catch up to him. He also appeared to revive Frosty the Snowman after the had melted in 1950. Kringle faced his toughest battle when he was threatened by a Demon which he was able to defeat with aid from children and Merlin in 1959. Kris Kringle gradually became fed up with how horrible Christmas has become for him- with no reindeer for his sleigh, no elves to make the toys, no workshop to make the toys due to a lack of insurance and a tax audit, people shooting at him with their guns, irradiation from nuclear plants, among other things, On Christmas Eve in 1960 he decided that he was going to retire and rode off on his rocket-powered sleigh, kicking the sack of toys off it in disgust. The Sack was found by a man named Henry Corwin, who used Santa's magic bag and used it to deliver presents. He was chosen to be the new Santa that same night and had a successful tenure. Unfortunately, there was another problem and it was what led to Kringle's resignation. People's belief in Santa was dwindling and Christmas Cheer was the very thing that powered Santa's Sleigh. The Claus family invented a high tech new engine to power the Sleigh but it was clear some changes needed to be made. Another mortal man, simply called Father Christmas was chosen to deliver gifts specifically within Great Britain, possibly only London. He treated the job like any other. In 1964, Corwin faced his first major conflict as Santa when he was abducted by Martians who wanted a Santa on Mars. Imitating his own recruitment into the role, Corwin convinced a native Martian to act out the part. In 1967, while delivering presents to an Orphanage, Corwin found a baby had crawled into his magic sack. Not knowing what to do the baby was adopted and became Buddy, growing up to believe he was an Elf. In 1972, Corwin's sleigh, due to faltering belief was stranded on a California Beach. He was helped out by a lesser known cousin of the Easter Bunny, the Ice Cream Bunny. In 1974, Corwin became ill and almost did not make his deliveries, fortunately the Year without a Santa Claus never came to pass. In 1985, Santa was called upon to fix a devastating rift that had appeared in the Grainger family that could have resulted in death for the members. While undergoing this mission, Santa Claus instructed the Polar Express to deliver the world's children to the North Pole where he would choose a lucky child to deliver the first gift of Christmas. The child in question asked for a bell from Santa's sleigh. However, that Christmas would be faced with disaster as the toys designed by the Elf Patch began to fall apart and the Elf was fired. He found work under the manufacturing company B.Z. that tried to replace Christmas with a new holiday called Christmas 2, but their criminal activities were exposed and the company dismantled with those responsible arrested. In 1993, Corwin was ambushed by denizens from the otherworldly realm of Halloweentown, which happened to have a portal in a forest near Santa's workshop. Jack Skellington of Halloweentown took Santa's role, fortunately not turning into Santa due to Corwin still being alive. Jack delivered horrifying presents. Fortunately Jack realized what he had done and Santa was rescued and able to restore Christmas. In 1994, Henry Corwin fell off a roof. The mortal Scott Calvin put on his suit and began to transform into the New Santa Claus. Many of the Claus family, and Calvin himself, were unhappy with this but grudgingly accepted it and continued to take turns deliver the Presents. In 1996, Scott Calvin passed out upon discovering the sentient red and yellow M&Ms from the commercials were in fact real as he had believed they were special effects. Thankfully he was only unconscious for a short time and resumed his activities. In 2002, Eight years into his tenure as Santa Claus, Scott Calvin was considered by the Elves to be the best Santa they ever had. However, a clause came to effect that Calvin was required to be married with Christmas Eve a month away or he would cease being Santa. Fortunately he fell in love with and married Principal Carol Newman, who became the new Ms.Claus. In 2003, Scott Calvin sent Buddy the Elf to spread Christmas Cheer and power the Sleigh. Despite the Sleigh crashing into Central Park, the power of belief was able to get it off the ground again. In 2006, Scott Calvin fended off an attempt to replace him from a now delusional Jack Frost. young girl Lucy Miller was able to show compassion to Frost and melt his heart, this led him down to a path of reformation. By 2007, Russia developed its own variation of Santa Claus, Grandfather Frost. In 2008, Calvin's sleigh was sabotaged by the North Wind and the Miser brothers, embodiments of Heart and Cold, were forced to offer their assistance. Hoping to prevent further potential disasters the Claus family began to take full operations led by Malcolm Claus, an in and out Claus over the years now on his 70th Christmas. His son's Steve and Arthur aided him in his endeavors with Arthur delivering a forgotten gift before the intended child awoke. In 2012, The original Santa Claus, Nicholas St.North, became aware of the return of the villain Pitch Black and united with a legion of Holiday spirits to defeat him. Near the Year 3000, the Friendly robot Company designed plans for a mechanical gift-bringer - Robot Santa. For the Spirit of Joy that one day became Santa Claus has traveled with humankind since we left our caves and he will accompany us until we cease to exist. Category:Characters